Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Won't Someone Think of The Children?

If something is working for you, why change it?

Take for example the City's favourite head-fake - closing swimming pools. Whenever the mayor or city doesn't get its way when it wants to raise takes (like a new sidewalk tax, or a tax on using a Toronto postal code on your letters), it always does the same thing. It says that there won't be enough money to keep the city's swimming pools open in the summer. Then it backs off when there is the predictable outcry. Money is found, pools stay open, life goes on.

There is a tear in the mayor or budget chief's eye when they say this - usually on a hot day - but it must sadly be done because council / the province / the feds / Santa Claus has failed to come up with the dough a hefty tax increase would create.

The pools will be drained, lifeguards laid off, and children will have to cool themselves in a bucket of warm spit, or turn to crime...

Every year that I can remember, this has been the bugle cry of the city looking for money.

Yesterday Mayor Miller lost a vote to implement new taxes on cars and land transfer taxes. What does he say today? Drum roll please...

From The Toronto Star:

"And Miller warned councillors that programs are likely to suffer as a result – such as swimming lessons for a boy he knows who lives in public housing."

... is a writer, lawyer and occasional business guy. His column appeared in the Calgary Sun every week for over 16 years. Before that it was a regular weekly feature in the Toronto, Winnipeg & Edmonton Suns, The London Free Press and the National Post. He has appeared on TV and radio. Stephen happily lives in Toronto (which he doesn't admit except to close friends).